The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to fund research – up to €11.7m – that could help address the climate crisis and other emerging, complex environmental issues.
The funds have been made available for research proposals across a range of topics that could help curb the effects of the climate emergency and other environmental risks.
Broad themes for funding include improving knowledge on greenhouse gasses, focusing on health in industrial regulation and hazardous substances in the environment, challenges and opportunities in climate action, and the circular economy.
Laura Burke, EPA director general said: “EPA-funded research is essential to improving national understanding of our environment, the challenges it faces and responses to these challenges. The EPA funds research that seeks to address knowledge gaps, provide robust evidence to inform policy and support the implementation of environmental policies in Ireland. This supports an evidence led approach to policy-making based on excellent science and information.”
Highlighting the importance of a clean, healthy and well-protected environment for health, wellbeing and quality of life, the EPA is calling for proposals across four interconnected research areas. Topics include the following overarching and interrelated themes:
- Climate science, adaptation, scenarios, resilience and policy response
- Improving knowledge on greenhouse gas and air emission inventories
- Health in industrial regulation and in assessment
- Chemicals, hazardous substances and radiation in our environment
- Innovative approaches to environmental monitoring
- Land use knowledge, assessment and environmental risk
- Opportunities and barriers in climate action and in circular economy
- Raw materials and resources substitution and efficiency.
The EPA Research Programme is a government initiative funded by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. This Research Call is designed to support the development and implementation of environmental policies in Ireland.
Dr Alice Wemaere, EPA research manager, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with a number of organisations, including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the Geological Survey Ireland and Met Éireann, to co-fund environmental research and address key environmental challenges.
"We are also pleased to announce two Open topics covering the potential for use of satellite data in environmental monitoring and assessment and the role of the environment in development and transmission of antimicrobial resistance.”
As part of its wide range of functions, the EPA manages an environmental research programme that delivers essential scientific support for environmental policy development, implementation and broader decision making.
The EPA has been funding research in Ireland since 1994 and is currently funding more than 200 on-going research projects. Further details about the 2022 EPA Research Call are available on the EPA website.